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What is CSE?

What is child sexual exploitation?

It's not okay for someone to make or manipulate you into doing sexual acts for the benefit or enjoyment of others.

It is a form of sexual abuse and it is against the law.

For example, someone may try and get you to do sexual things by:

Offering you money

Hurting or threatening to hurt you

Humiliating or threatening to humiliate you

Buying you presents

Taking you out to places

Giving you a place to stay

Telling you that they love you

It's not always easy to know when you are being sexually exploited, especially if it is your friend, boyfriend or girlfriend that is exploiting you.

There are lots of different types of child sexual exploitation, which is why it can be hard to tell if it is happening to you, or for your parents and carers to spot that something is wrong. These are just some examples:

An abuser may pretend to be your friend and earn your trust before trying to get you to have sex. This is called grooming

A group of young people might gang up you to get you to carry out sex acts. This might be in return for friendship or so you can join the gang

An abuser may try and become your friend online, perhaps pretending to be someone your age getting you to carry out sex acts using a webcam

A new boyfriend or girlfriend might start to expect you to have sex with them in return for gifts or favours, or try to get you to have sex with their friends

Abusers might try and lure you to parties with promises of free alcohol and drugs, but then expect you to have sex with people while you are there

What is ‘peer-on-peer exploitation'?

We often think of child sexual abuse and exploitation as young people being abused by adults. However, it's growing increasingly common for young people to be sexually exploited by other people in their age group (or only a little bit older). The police call this ‘peer-on-peer' exploitation.